Child Support Stakeholder News

Self employed parents

Some self employed parents might have more complex business arrangements which can affect the income we use to work out their child support.

If a parents income changes, they may be able to:
• make an estimate of their current adjusted taxable income to replace the adjusted taxable income from a previous year
• apply for any extra money they've earned after separation to be excluded from their child support assessment
• apply for a change of assessment in special circumstances.

Parents should also be aware that income, earning capacity, property and financial resources could be added or excluded from a child support assessment under a Change of Assessment.

The options above might not be suitable for all situations. Call us on 131 272* for more information or to talk about what’s available to you.

* Call charges may apply

We speak your language

The Department of Human Services aims to reduce language barriers, tailor information and make our processes easier for parents and carers with different backgrounds.  One way we’re doing this is by offering support products and services in languages other than English. 

The parent's guide to child support and the Introduction to Child Support factsheets are available online in Vietnamese, Arabic, Turkish, Chinese and Spanish. Other products, including the popular Me and My booklets, are also available in other languages.

They can be ordered from www.csa.gov.au or the publications hotline 1800 040 972*.  Our website can also be translated into 28 different languages. If parents don’t speak English and need help from us, they can ring the Telephone Interpreting Service on 131 450* between 8.30am and 4.45pm (local time), Monday to Friday.

A three-way conversation between a parent, an interpreter and a Customer Service Officer can be set-up to help parents with their child support enquiries.

* Call charges may apply

2012 spotlight on private collect

Throughout this year we will be publishing articles focusing on private collect arangements for parents.  The articles will range from setting up an arrangement to ongoing management. 

Also, we would like to hear from you about the types of articles you would like to see in Stakeholder eNews. 

Please email us at stakeholders@humanservices.gov.au

Tell us what you think about our services

The Department of Human Services aims to offer parents the best service to help manage their child support - so we want to hear their feedback to improve what we do.

We take all complaints seriously and it’s important parents tell us their thoughts about our services including actions taken, unreasonable delays in making a decision or taking action, inadequate service and unprofessional behaviour.

Here’s how parents can tell us:
1. Call 131 272* and talk to a Customer Service Officer (CSO), who’ll try to resolve the problem.
2. If parents are unsatisfied with a response, they can ask to speak to the CSO’s Team Leader.
3. If they are still dissatisfied with the response, they can call the Complaints Service on 132 919*.

We would also like to hear if parents have had a great experience with one of our staff or have positive feedback about our services – call 131 272*.

To lodge a complaint or compliment, parents can use CSAonline, send a fax to 1300 309 949* or posting a letter to GPO Box 9815, Melbourne Vic 3001. See our website for more information.

* Call charges may apply

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